


Attention to Pearls

by GlassRain



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, F/F, Gem Homeworld, Hurt/Comfort, Lion is Pink Pearl, Physical Abuse, Protective Rose Quartz, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:37:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6271870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlassRain/pseuds/GlassRain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While visiting White Diamond's court, Rose Quartz takes an interest in an unusually damaged Pearl. And not a moment too soon . . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	Attention to Pearls

When the Pink ship comes to a stop on the great curved platform in the heart of White Diamond's territory, they are greeted by a Moonstone and a whole string of Pearls. Every one of the string is slender, elegant, and -- on Rose's first look -- perfectly matched: silky-smooth upswept hair, delicate sheer skirts, long slender legs.

They bend into matching curtsies, and the unity falters: one Pearl, standing second from the left, doesn't dip as low as the others. When she stands again, there are glitches in the motion, blips of static marring the shape of her face.

Rose stops. Since she's the highest-ranking Gem that Pink Diamond sent, the rest of the entourage stops too.

"Is something wrong, my Quartz?" asks the Moonstone.

Rose frowns. "That Pearl . . . "

All the Pearls are too well-conditioned to look at her in surprise, but the glitchy Pearl's hands clench and her mouth trembles, while the others hold too-perfectly still.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry, I don't know how a broken one got into this group," stammers Moonstone. "I'll have her removed at once."

Removed to give her time to regenerate properly? Or removed to be harvested? As the Moonstone puts a hand on the faltering Pearl's shoulder, Rose makes a snap decision. "I'm not offended, just . . . interested. Have her sent to my quarters after the meeting, won't you?"

 

***

 

The Pearl is terrified, and all her strength is turned toward not letting it show.

She's always been defective, with a misshapen gem that means she will never belong to a leader or an aristocrat, much less become the Pearl standing at White Diamond's side. At least she's fit to be part of a decorative string, so long as she always regenerates with a physical form that's to spec. And now she can't even do _that_ right.

It makes her vulnerable. The Quartz from the neighboring territory spotted it in an instant.

True, at first glance Rose appears to have a kind smile and gentle eyes. But she's still a Quartz. Still a warrior Gem who could crush a Pearl with one blow if she wanted to. Especially a Pearl that wouldn't be missed . . . 

The Pearl smooths out nonexistent creases in her bodysuit and flicks imaginary lint from her skirt for as long as she dares, then bows to the door of the guest room.

She's expected. The lock, stylized to look like a white Quartz gem, glows in response, and the door slides open.

 

***

 

Rose has a vial of tears prepared, in case the glitching is the kind of thing it can heal. She gives it to her own Pearl -- a gift from Pink Diamond, with narrow eyes and a big rosy mane of hair -- to hold, and waits.

The White Pearl, when she arrives, looks terrible. Her projection is still erratic; one leg is a bit shorter than the other right now, though the careful way she walks almost disguises it. And her face . . . 

"You're not in trouble," says Rose. Should have made that clear from the start.

"Of course, my Quartz." The White Pearl's eyes flick to the Pink Pearl, then return to the floor. Demure. Still radiating fear.

Rose sinks to one knee in front of her, fluffing out her own billowing pink skirt to keep from sitting on it. "You can revert to your natural projection, if that would be easier."

For the first time, the Pearl looks too confused to be scared. "My Quartz?"

"You're stretching yourself, right . . . ? Forcing your shape to change so you make a symmetrical pattern with the other Pearls? It's a wonderful effort, but doing that for too long will make your projection unstable, you must know that."

"I don't -- it's not -- this _is_ natural." With something like pride, the Pearl straightens up. "Only my gem shape is irregular. All my regenerations are handled with care and precision, to make sure that my physical form meets the latest Pearl standabluawargh --"

She claps both hands over her mouth, cheeks flushing a soft blue.

Now Rose is even more concerned. As far as she knows, shapechanging strain doesn't affect your ability to talk. "I take it this hasn't happened before?"

The Pearl shakes her head, eyes wide with panic.

"It sounds almost like you've been cracked," murmurs Rose, half to herself . . . and cups the Pearl's face, rubbing her thumb across the smooth white surface of the gem.

Or at least, it's supposed to be smooth.

 

***

 

The Pearl flinches.

If Rose Quartz asks, it was another glitch. Not any other kind of reaction. Not her body wincing in anticipation of being thrown against a wall.

Rose doesn't ask, but the way her brow furrows makes it seem like she knows a lot more than the Pearl would admit to. "Your gem is chipped. Extensively. Is that part of the . . . irregularity . . . in how it was originally made?"

It would be easy to lie. It's not as if many of the gems in White Diamond's court would be able to say otherwise, and those that know better are likely to go along with the story. Still, the Pearl finds herself saying, "No, my Quartz."

"Someone's been rough with you, then."

 _Mostly the Smoky Quartzes, a couple of Cristobalites, and a Drusy,_ the Pearl does not say. It wasn't a question, which means she doesn't _have_ to say anything . . . "I have no complaints, my Quartz. Nobody's ever cracked or broken me. I haven't had to regenerate any more often than my fellow Pearls."

"No, of course not. That would make it too obvious. Impossible to ignore." Rose beckons without looking, and the Pink Pearl in the corner pads over, silent and sharp-eyed, to put something in her hand. "Hold still."

The White Pearl can't imagine what's being planned here, until a cool liquid is poured over her gem . . . 

. . . and then she's shaking all over, teeth chattering, stumbling in place. Rose scoops her off the ground and gathers her into a kind of hug before she can fall over. "It's okay! It's okay, you're all right, give yourself a minute to adjust. You poor thing, you must have been straining so hard to hold it together. The chips are healed now. You don't have to fight the glitches anymore."

Through the shock and the trembling, the Pearl starts to understand. It reminds her of something she's seen in wrestling matches between Quartzes -- when one will be pushing something with all her strength, and the other suddenly stops resisting. With the pressure gone, the first Quartz might go flying, all under her own power.

The Pearl had known she was straining, but had lost all perspective on how much.

She adjusts, she recalibrates, she _relaxes_ , until she's cradled still and gentle in Rose's strong arms.

 

***

 

Rose keeps an eye on the defective White Pearl afterward, and, when she has other business, instructs her own Pearl to discreetly take over.

Nobody pays much attention to Pearls. That's how a Drusy Quartz can commandeer one of the White Pearls for a few hours without anyone looking too closely at the state she's in afterward. It's also how the Pink Pearl can take a recording of the whole thing, and slip away unharmed to deliver it to Rose.

A few days later, the White Pearl is back in Rose's quarters. "The Moonstone in charge of this wing issued a reprimand to the entire Quartz company about misusing White Diamond's property. Did you . . . make that happen somehow, my Quartz?"

"I certainly did." Rose's fingers caress the misshapen gem to make sure there aren't any fresh cracks. This time, the surface is smooth.

"Is there anything I can do for you . . . ?" The Pearl blushes again. "Not that I wouldn't anyway, I mean, I assume that's why you called me here . . . but if there's anything special, maybe that you wouldn't usually get in a foreign court . . . "

"Actually, there is something I would like to see from you."

Rose beckons her Pink Pearl closer, and the White Pearl's back straightens. She doesn't need healing this time, so she's expecting the Pink Pearl to demonstrate something Rose likes, something she'll be expected to imitate.

Instead, the Pink Pearl touches her gem again -- its glow almost hidden under the thick tufts of hair falling around her face and over her chest -- and draws out one of the things Rose always has her carry these days. She doesn't hand it over to Rose. They both feel the damaged Pearl might be unnecessarily scared to have an armed Quartz towering over her.

Surprise flickers across the White Pearl's face as she watches a fellow Pearl pose with a sword.

"Nobody has permission to bother her when I'm not around," explains Rose, with a calming hand on the White Pearl's shoulders. "But since there's a chance they might try anyway . . . I taught her a few moves. I'd like you to learn too. Is that all right?"

"O-of course, my Quartz."

"Oh, good! Sit right here and pay attention." Rose picks up the wide-eyed Pearl, deposits her on a soft cloud-shaped bench, and moves to stand across from the sword-wielding Pearl. "You see how she's standing, where she puts her feet? Everything begins with your stance . . . "

**Author's Note:**

> Come follow me on tumblr, where I reblog SU and other pretty things: http://glassrain83.tumblr.com/


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